


Delphine Confesses

by Abby_nikki1124



Series: Delphine Realizes [2]
Category: Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Aged-Up Anne Shirley, Aged-Up Gilbert Blythe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Delphine and William are the new shirbert, Delphine is a teen, Delphine lacroix and Gilbert Blythe talk, F/M, Gilbert Blythe and Anne Shirley Use Their Words, Gilbert Blythe is Whipped, Growing Up, Protective Gilbert Blythe, Sebastian "Bash" Lacroix Ships Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley, delphine is in love, new characters - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:07:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25558612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Abby_nikki1124/pseuds/Abby_nikki1124
Summary: “But, I do need you. Will I was mad, I was hurting and I lashed out on you when you were just trying to be there to help me. It was wrong of me to put all my pain on you, to give you the end of the stick because of my pain...We get a glimpse of Anne and Gilbert's confession, but it's Delphine Lacroix's turn to find out whether she can get that happy book ending like her Aunt and Uncle. Part 2 of Delphine realizes.
Relationships: Delphine Lacroix & Anne Shirley, Gilbert Blythe & Delphine Lacroix, Gilbert Blythe & Delphine Lacroix & Sebastian "Bash" Lacroix, Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley
Series: Delphine Realizes [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1852150
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	Delphine Confesses

Anne and Gilbert walk towards the Lacroix home, Bash coming out seeing the couple hand in hand. He smiles remembering how long it took the two to get together or the first time he heard that they had finally gotten the balls to say something to each other. Rather than through texts, you would think that two people who are gifted academically would be smart and just go on to say how they feel about one another, face to face. No, they were absolute idiots when it came to anything remotely having to do with feelings. He still remembers the day that Gilbert came home with tears in his eyes. 

_Seventeen years ago_

“Oi, Blythe what happened? Did you finally tell her how you feel or did you chicken out again?” He teases Gilbert, but Gilbert was going straight to his room, an eighteen year old boy that had a hard time to let himself have fun, looking solemn. Bash didn’t like seeing Gilbert like that, he never took the time to really enjoy being himself. The only time he remembers seeing him actually let loose is around the red headed girl. Bash swears he becomes a different person every time that boy goes near her. 

He walked into Gilbert’s room and the poor boy was laying in bed face down on his pillow, shoulders shaking. Bash knew he was crying and Gilbert rarely likes to have people see him cry, he thinks that it will be a bother. That he needs to be strong for others. Not anymore, Bash will not allow that. He’s done enough of taking care of others from his father to Mary. But no more. 

“She didn’t even acknowledge me or say anything about the note I put in her locker. She ignored me the whole day.” Gilbert’s voice muffles into the pillow, shoulders still shaking. 

“Gilbert, did you talk to her. To tell her you loved her not through a note.” Bash goes to sit down on the edge of Gilbert’s bed, the bed sinking.

“Well, I texted her if something was wrong and if she got the note.” Gilbert sits up, sniffling and his hair stuck in all directions. The navy blue pillow case wet from his tears and his eyes brimmed in red. Bash can only look at him, shaking his head back and forth, this poor boy got it bad for her.

“Blythe, you don’t text the girl. You tell her face to face, that’s how miscommunication starts.” He explains to the boy, that’s picking at the buttons of his flannel. 

“Bash, you should have seen her, she looked hurt or like something happened and she was mad at me! I don’t even know what I did! I don’t want to lose her, it will hurt too much. I already lost so many people I loved, I can’t lose her to.” Gilbert wipes of his tears, pressing the palms of his hands to his eyes. He hiccups and he hates feeling like this, like everything is just punching him at his gut and wanting to tear his heart piece by piece. _God if this is how it feels to be heart broken and not even be with the person you love, I can’t imagine losing her._ Gilbert thinks. 

“Why is love so complicated?, I don’t understand Bash. People say it’s the most beautiful thing, my father said it’s like being lit up with a million fireflies. That one day the person you meet will be your whole world; that you’d be scared, because you’d never thought you would find someone that makes you feel like you want to keep them safe but show them off to the world all at the same time. The thing is I feel that, all of that when it comes to Anne.” Gilbert lets out all his pain, his voice straining from trying to not be muffled by the sound of pain and crying. 

“Gilbert, love is hard because we have to work for it. We continuously work through relationships. It needs effort to fuel that love. I’m not saying love is not natural, it is and it is the most damn right terrifying and wonderful emotion to experience. But when we choose to give up, that light can dim and that fuel we give by effort weakens. So no don’t stop, don’t give up on Anne. Talk to her, tell her all that you’ve told me about how much you love her.” Bash tells the mere eighteen year old that looks even younger right in front of him.

“You know, Mary told me once to Marry for love and I didn’t know what she meant until now. I’m not saying I’m going to marry Anne right away. I’m saying that if she feels the same way that I do, then that’s it. She’s the one for me, I will marry her.” Gilbert tells Bash and he’s no longer crying. His eyes swollen but looking up at Bash whose eyes are full of love once Mary is mentioned.

“Mary was always the smartest one. For a moke like you, it took you long enough to realize that.” Bash teases him, nudging his shoulder. They both laugh.

“Gilbert someone is here to see you!” They both turn to the voice of Hazel calling for the boy. Gilbert looks at Bash with worried eyes. 

“Go, see who it is. Even though I have an idea of who it might be. I have to go see if Delly is awake from her nap.” Bash gets up and pats his back, leaving him in his room. 

Gilbert pulls himself out of his bed, his footsteps feeling heavy at each step he takes. Until he stops at the end of the steps and sees the flash of red hair, a dark green scarf wrapped around her and in one of his old grey sweaters that she stole back when she stayed over on their study nights.

“Gil, we need to talk.” She says and she looks at him with sad wondrous eyes.

“Yea, I think we do. Want to take a walk in the orchard.” He asks and she nods and he grabs his coat. 

They silently walk through the path of trees, it’s autumn, the wind is blowing and it is becoming cooler each day. The leaves are turned orange and red. They crunch underneath their boots, their nose red from the cold but nothing can stop them from feeling their heart pound heavy in their chest. 

“I need to say something.” Both say to each other at the same time. 

“ You go.” Gilbert tells Anne and she notices his eyes are red and puffy, she knows he was crying.

“Gil, I- I didn’t mean to ignore you. It’s just when you didn’t say anything about the note I left you, I thought you didn’t feel the same way, so I needed to distance myself. Then I got a text saying if I got the note you left me, but I was so mad. I just tore it apart and flushed it down the toilet. But I know I should have just asked you, I was scared so I’m telling you this now. Gilbert Blythe I am in love with you” She admits to him, stopping and looking up to him in his bright hazel eyes. 

“Anne, you should know I did not get any note. Maybe Delly went and grabbed it or in some weird way it got lost. But I assure you Anne Shirley Cuthbert that I have been in love with you the moment, I first saw you and your two braided pigtails. I was a goner even when you pushed me off the chair and hit me with that textbook.” 

“It was a paperback textbook! And I apologized more than I can count on my fingers.” She interrupts him. 

“I know, I want you to know this Anne. That I love you. I am in love with you and I will spend my whole life to keep on loving you.” He declares cupping Anne’s cheek, tears falling from her eyes. 

“That’s a pretty big promise there Gil, you sure you're up to being with this hot headed red head for that long?” She questions and places her hands on his chest.

“I think I can manage, after all I waited this long.” Gilbert teases her, running his thumb across her cheek. 

“Shut up.” Anne puts in her last word and kisses him before he can respond back to her. It’s soft and sweet but there’s a rush of urgency between the two, like they have been waiting for this for a long time. 

Not too long, Bash sees them through the window hand in hand, with smiles on their faces. _The moke finally did it_. He thought. 

_Present_

“Oi, Blythe where did my daughter go running off?” Bash asks Gilbert as the couple walks into the kitchen sitting at the dining table.

“She needed to go see William, she had to talk to him about something important.” Gilbert smiles to himself, knowing his niece is well on her way to declare her feelings.

“Did the moke finally say something to her?” Bash admits. He’s not dumb he knows that look better than anyone else. After all, he had to deal with it for years.

“You knew?!” Anne exclaims. 

“Of course, I’m her father not like she can hide anything from me. You forget yourself when I had to deal with both of you pining over each other helplessly. She takes after her mother and aunt. She wants to be the strong independent woman and she is, but she doesn’t want to admit that she wants to have someone love her without the risk of getting vulnerable to someone.” He explains to the couple in front of him.

“If he hurts her I have no problem, having a nice talk to him with my fists though.” Elijah pipes in from the other room. They all laugh. 

“He’s not kidding.” Bash says and all stop to look at each other. But starts to laugh again.

_8PM The Sun is Set._

Delphine can feel the light breeze of the night air sweep through her hair. The house where she had endless nights hanging out, watching horror or Disney movies, baking cookies at 3 Am and just reading. It looms over her each second she gets near, her stomach starts to stir. Until she finally gets to the front porch, staring at the door waiting for something. Hoping that he will hear her breathless from running.

She goes and knocks on the white wooden door, she hopes that Will won’t answer. She doesn’t know if she could survive seeing him and his sad face or worse, the possibility of him turning away from her. But here she is in her light yellow sundress, hair in a half up-do with strands falling in her face from running, and in white worn out high top converse. _Well here it goes it’s all or nothing, I can do this._ She hypes herself up. 

She knocks on the door, she can feel her palms start to sweat, her heart beating twice as fast, her stomach sinking and just like that he’s right in front of her. Will looks like he’s been sleeping, and despite his raven hair sticking out in different directions, one strand that is standing up particularly that makes her want to run her hands through his hair and fix it; His chocolate brown eyes looking tired and worried, and his navy blue shirt wrinkled but in his plaid pajama bottoms. He looks more handsome than ever. _Was he always this beautiful?_ She tells herself. 

“Hi” Delphine whispers out, breathless looking up at him. 

“Hi” William says, walking out to the porch, closing the door behind him. He's surprised to see her. He wasn’t expecting to see Delphine at all today, but she’s here and he’s still hurt by what she said. He knew she was hurting but those words still didn’t puncture him any less. 

“Will, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean what I said to you in the classroom. I haven’t been a very good friend to you. Ever since James came into the picture, I got caught up in this fantasy I made up in my head. I was so caught up with the idea of him, of the idea of him loving me and being that person I have imagined in my head from all the stories and romance novels. I’m a helpless case when it comes to romance, I was in love with the idea of being in love.” She explains to him, she doesn’t know if she will get the strength to tell him how she feels. He’s facing her with his arms crossed and his face with a neutral expression. 

“Dells, I don’t think you understand that despite you being distant once that asshole came into the picture. I never once stop caring about you. I’ve known you since the first grade and you may not think that I don’t actually pay attention to you or what you say or do. But I do. I didn’t want to step in with you and James because that simply wasn’t my place to do. I know you can handle yourself and that you’re a strong woman. But I am not going to lie to you, I was hurt when you said you didn’t need me.” Will admits to her, he doesn’t raise his voice at her. He doesn’t want to start another argument. He doesn’t want her to leave his life. He would rather her be mad at him than not have her be there with him at all.

“But, I do need you. Will I was mad, I was hurting and I lashed out on you when you were just trying to be there to help me. It was wrong of me to put all my pain on you, to give you the end of the stick because of my pain. I need you to know I never meant to say those words,I never meant to push you away and I never meant to say I didn’t need you. I miss you.” Delphine croaks out, trying desperately not to cry. She doesn’t take her eyes off him, she wants him to see her to see how he makes her vulnerable.

“I miss you too. You know even if I was hurt, I don’t think I could be mad at you. No matter how hard I try. No matter how much I wanted to try to move on, God do you know how difficult it is, to get your laugh or your sarcastic comments out of my head or the smell of apples and vanilla out of my room from all the times you slept over. “ He laughs to himself and he still needs time to process what she is saying. He knows once he looks at her. It will be over, all that pain will disappear but he needs her to understand. 

“Will, I need to tell you this. I’m going to say this and I don’t know how much more courage I will have to say this. My uncle asked me how I felt about you and I didn’t know how to answer that. Then he told me to just describe it, and I did. I said that I felt like home whenever you were around, how your smile is one of my favorite things about you because even puppies would cry at how beautiful it is. I explained how my stomach gets this weird butterfly sensation when your hand grazes mine but when you do grab a hold of my hand, all those nerves evaporate. You’re not afraid to tell me when I’m hangry and when I am, you always go buy me extra large fries and an order of Chinese food because why get one thing when you can have both. You make me a better person, you encourage me despite the times, I feel like I can’t. So when my uncle asked me again how I felt about you and I saw him and my aunt together; both laughing looking at each other like time doesn’t exist and like they can see each other through their souls. I knew right then and there, that’s how you looked at me. I understood and I knew that I Delphine Lacroix had fallen in love with William Laurence.” She lets out the breath she had been holding the moment she had first seen him standing at the door. Tears falling, here she was being vulnerable like an open wound prepared for the sting that has yet to come. Hoping that the wound doesn’t grow, but heal and bloom into something bright and new. 

“Dells, I- I need you to promise me something. Before I say anything else, I need you to promise me that you won’t run when I try to help you fight those battles. I know you don’t need a man to help, but I need you to understand that I want to be there to help when it gets hard and when you’re hurt. Don’t push me away, tell me. Talk to me. No more running, be vulnerable with me. I know it’s hard, I know it’s hard to let people in your heart and you’re scared they will leave once they do. I know this because you lost your mom and you don’t want that pain. You’ve told me how scared you are to have people just leave without knowing why. But I want you to promise me, that when you’re scared you tell me. Dells I want us to communicate, to always tell each other when we're hurting,when we’re insecure about losing each other, and when we're afraid of not being good enough for one another. Because Delphine Lacroix I can’t lose you, best friend and all, I can’t let you go. I am in love with you and have been since the moment we were racing in the apple orchards that one spring and you were telling me all about the different apples and how much you loved to hang out with the trees, because you thought they were lonely. We were twelve. That’s when I knew, I would wait for you, friend or more. I would wait.” He admitted to her, his voice rough from trying to hold back from wanting to cry. But that didn’t help, he let his tears fall. He wanted her to see how real this is to him. 

William gets closer to Delphine, she’s crying and sniffling. Until finally she looks up at him and the once dull chocolate brown eyes are now bright and molten. The sounds of crickets and the moon gleaming along the empty fields and trees are all that can be heard or seen. Their soft silhouette from the reflection of the moonlight is seen against the white door, her arms wrapping around his neck. On her tiptoes, she whispers, “ I promise.” He wraps his arms around her waist bringing her closer, not wasting any time closing the distance between the two of them.

The kiss, gentle and hard to keep up with one another from both smiling to wide. But they soon catch up with one another. It’s sweet and they take their time savoring the sweet bliss of their lips against one another. One peck and then another, until they break apart. Their foreheads pressed against one another and William cupped her face, telling her, “ Too late to back out, you’re stuck with me now.” 

“Will, you were always stuck with me, idiot.” Delphine laughs a real hearty laugh, the one that echoes and that pulls a heart string on William’s heart.

“Yea, but I couldn’t do this” He kisses her again and again.

“True, also did I say how handsome you look in your pajamas. Very sexy.” She giggles and he laughs.

“Shut up, I was having an existential crisis over a girl that I couldn’t get my mind off, I needed to be comfortable.” William explains.

“Okay, whatever you say, come on let's go eat some apple pie my aunt had made some earlier and I want to thank my uncle. Without him I don't think I would have realized how I felt about you.” Delphine grabs his hands.

“I should be the one to thank him, but let me grab my shoes. Unless you want me to go in my socks,that would be a great impression wouldn't it?” 

“They love you, but yes go grab your shoes. Just in case you need to run from my brother.” She teases, pushing him to go inside to grab his shoes.

“Dells? Dells?! What do you mean run?” Will asks worriedly as he puts on his shoes. But she starts running off.

“Don’t worry love, it will be okay. Now come on and catch up.” She shouts and so he does, he goes after her. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all, I hope you liked this second part of Delphine realizes. It was fun writing this story on a different point of view. I wanted Delphine to have her story be told, granted she doesn't need a man to complete her. She does deserve a whirl wind romance and if it happens to be like Shirbert then so be it. I am desperately deprived of Shirbert so this helped a bunch. I hope you all liked it. Maybe just maybe I'll post more about William and Delly or "Welly". See you soon! Stay safe and be kind.


End file.
